Canadians’ favourite foods according to smartphone app data

Naan bread ranks number 4 according to a list of Canadians' favourite foods. (Thinkstock)Au revoir poutine, hello naan. It seems Canadians are not sticking to old culinary stereotypes, except when it comes to maple syrup. That is not going away.

Based on data from Massive Health -- a company that operates the iPhone app, Eatery -- the Huffington Post has put together a list of foods and drinks that Canadians chow down on more than people in other countries.

Along with naan, the presence of items like flax and quinoa make Canadians seem rather sophisticated. But it should be noted that the list might be a reflection of the healthy eating habits of Eatery app users, rather than an accurate representation of Canadian food tastes.

We talked with the director of Toronto's George Brown's chef school, John Higgins, to ask his opinion on some of the foods on this list. Here is what he has to say.

Americano

Higgins has decided he may have even instigated this trend.

"In the last six months, I've had nothing but Americano," he says. "I like the flavour, and I've never been disappointed."

According to data from the Eatery app users, Canadians are over eight times more likely to order an Americano than people from other countries.

Subway sandwiches

As a chef, Higgins is predictably not a faithful Subway restaurant customer but he sees the appeal.

"It's clean, it's tidy, it's basic. And you know that you can eat something healthy," he says.

Naan bread

Higgins has been to India several times and is crazy about the flatbread.

"People travel much more than they did before," he says. "And naan is good, fresh bread."

Maple-flavoured products

Higgins has noticed maple-flavouring in many food products they aren't typically associated with. A visitor to his home recently even bought maple-flavoured yogurt, which did not appeal to him in the slightest.